A Human Affliction
by Fadargen
Summary: A fateful encounter in the woods forces Ame to confront the half of himself that he has been hiding from.


oOo

Ame's paws padded quietly against the soil that shifted beneath his weight. His neck bent low, his golden eyes scanning the length of forest before him. Sunlight filtered in through the abundant leaves, casting speckled light upon the patchy grass below. Ame lowered his body even closer to the earth, touching his nose to the dirt and inhaling the scent. The musty odor of a hare's paw filled his head, and his heart quickened in excitement. He knew this hare. The tough old boy had been eluding him for weeks, and now he was right under his nose. Ame straightened on his paws and slowly slinked forth in practiced stealth. He expertly moved away from dried twigs and dead leaves, avoiding their loud crackle.

Ame sniffed at the air, and a gentle breeze carried the hare's scent. He was near. Judging by the metallic hints of blood that accompanied his odor, the hare was also injured. Perhaps, dying. This would make the hunt less satisfying, after so many hours dedicated to pursuit. Ame continued forth, following the scent. The hare had won, he decided humbly. He had put up a good fight, even in his old age, and Ame respected him. For that, he would give him a swift death to end his suffering.

He nosed through a long thicket of branches, pushing away at the twigs that reached for the ground. A small clearing stretched just beyond the leaves, one that he frequented for rest. The hare was laying in its middle and crimson oozed beneath his gray fur. It pooled below him in a striking contrast against the greens of the earth. The hare had come to him to reach peace, Ame realized. Many of the animals knew this small meadow to be one of Ame's favorite spots. The hare was ready to be taken by him. Ame approached the old boy, examining the wound that had ended their game.

The hare's stomach shown two large bite marks that could have been made only by a snake, perhaps a Yamakagashi, judging by the smell. There was no danger in Ame eating the hare, for he couldn't detect a hint of poison in his blood. Ame and the hare caught eyes and the wolf bent his head low in a respectful greeting. The hare breathed raggedly, with not the strength to feel fear. He closed his eyes against the pain, ears and legs twitching as he rode the aching waves. With a final glance, Ame bared his fangs and snapped the hare's neck, allowing him to leave his broken body behind and join the spirit world.

Ame was pleased for the chance to finally enjoy the hare's meat. He was a fat one, with nice strong muscles underneath. Good for the chewing. With his jaws still closed around the hare's neck, Ame could taste the sweet, rich blood of an animal who only ate the finest plants and bark. The wolf withdrew his teeth to start at his favorite bits. First, the thighs-

A shrill scream broke the serenity of the forest, birds fleeing their branches and darting above the foliage. The scream was that of a human's, and judging by the high pitch, a very young one. Ame glanced down at his hare, knowing that if he left the meat alone to investigate the sound, it would be taken apart by scavengers. Another sharp scream pierced his ears, as well as his indecisiveness, and the wolf lunged on his paws and into the trees.

Ame raced toward the source of the sound, trunks and leaves blurring into shapeless colors around him. He stopped for a moment to sniff at the air, eyes widening as he caught the scent of a bear. A female bear with an infamous temperament when it came to her cubs. She even dared to snap her jaws at Ame when he stepped too close to their den. If the oblivious child had managed to overstep its boundaries, it would soon become a meal for the Mother and her cubs.

Ame was close enough now to hear the gentle rumbling in her chest as she cast her warning. A warning? The Mother Bear was not known for her patience, ripping animals to shreds without a moment's thought. Ame's curiosity charged his run faster still. Finally, the wolf leapt over a fallen tree and discovered the scene.

A young girl, looking to be no more than five sat before the Mother and her cubs. To Ame's disbelief, she was grinning from ear to ear, slapping her hands together in barely contained excitement. The child stared at the trio with wide, twinkling eyes, and the cubs mirrored her intrigue. The Mother shifted uncomfortably on her great paws, rumbling her disapproval every now and again. But even she could see that the curious child posed as no threat to her young. Still, with every attempt a cub made to investigate the girl, the mother would growl and nose them away.

Ame was relieved to find that the child was unharmed, but internally scowled at the impending inconvenience of returning her to the humans. After all, he was the only animal in the forest with the sense of responsibility to do so. She would be eaten without his help. Ame grudgingly stepped forward to reveal himself to the lot.

The girl glanced his way, eyes widening into big, brown saucers. She released a loud scream of delight, scrambling to her feet and running straight for him. Before she could reach him, the Mother Bear rushed forward to separate their paths, baring her teeth to Ame. The wolf then realized that she felt a hint of protectiveness over the human cub, and proceeded carefully, bowing low to demonstrate that he meant no harm.

_Do not eat, _the Mother warned with a low rumble.

Ame shivered in revulsion. The very idea of eating a human was enough to make his stomach churn. _I will return the cub to its humans, _he promised.

_Yes,_ the Mother agreed, stepping away with a final growl of warning. The girl's small body came into view, an ecstatic grin spreading across her face as she beheld the great wolf. She sprinted forth, reaching hands out to touch him. Ame's tail flicked in amusement when her foot caught on a tree root and she met with the earth. The bear cubs roared at the human's clumsiness before receiving a swift growl from their Mother. The three disappeared into the trees, discussing the strange encounter.

Ame watched their retreat with satisfaction. That went better than he could have hoped. Who knew the Mother Bear could be so reasonable? A long whimper drew his attention to the ground at his feet. The human girl dragged her knee from the dirt for inspection and blanched upon finding a reddening scrape. She burst into tears, wailing in a way that made Ame's ears itch. He growled to silence her, but that only made her cries louder.

He didn't want to have to do this...but how else was she going to obey him enough to be returned to her people? Ame supposed that she was young and naive enough that the adults would pay her no mind, even if she _did _report what she saw.

Or rather, heard.

"You're fine, alright? It's barely a scratch. Now, get up."

The human ceased her cries immediately, lifting her head to stare at the wolf with wide eyes. The girl's face was smeared with dirt, short brown locks stuck to her cheeks.

Ame sighed. It was hard to form words after so many years of silence. Japanese felt awkward on his tongue, a language that didn't suit him. "Come on," he urged, bending his neck to nose her side. "Up."

The human obeyed in a daze, eyes focused on his.

"Where are you from?" he questioned carefully.

The human parted her lips, only to continue her incessant staring. Ame waited for an answer, but none came. "Did you come here with your parents?" Ame flicked his tail impatiently when he was met again with silence. "Where's Mom?"

"Mom," the girl echoed, tears building in her eyes, "I want my Mom, I'm hurt."

Ame suppressed his annoyance. Human children were so dependent and helpless.

"Are you on a field trip?" he asked flatly.

The human sniffed, lowering her head to eye the redness about her knee. "Yes," she answered with another sniff. Ame's ears pricked at the response. All he had to do now was take her to the path that led back to the observatory, close enough so that she couldn't lose her way. She must have strayed from the group during the nature tour. Ame had seen an occasional hiker or observer lose their way, and always felt compelled to watch in the coverage of leaves until they found their way back. They always found their way back. But this one was too young to do it on her own.

"Alright, girl, follow me. I'll take you back."

Ame turned on his paws and headed into the forest. He could hear the girl's less careful step just behind him. The wolf flinched when he felt a small hand on his side and inclined his head to find the girl smiling at the fingers that clenched his fur. "Stop that," he hissed. To be honest, it felt good. But he wanted to discourage her habit of petting wild animals, lest she land herself into more serious trouble.

The girl lowered her hand with a sniff and tears began to collect in her round eyes. Not the crying, again. "Fine, go ahead," he assented in a grumble. "Just don't pet any more animals in the woods after this. They bite."

"Okay!" the girl chirped, dipping sprawled fingers back into his mane. She idly scratched as they walked and held tight onto the fur every time she lost her balance. Which was often.

After a passing of silence, her bell-like voice broke the silence. "How come you can talk, Mr. Wolfman?"

Ame sighed. He had hoped she would be oblivious to the strangeness of his abilities.

"I just can."

"But why?"

The wolf growled and bared his teeth, "Why can _you_ talk?"

A touch of pride colored her tone. "I learned it."

"Yeah?" Ame turned his face to her. "Well, I did, too."

"Why?"

Ame began to walk faster.

oOo

Sunset had begun to paint the sky in shades of red and orange, illuminating the leaves and casting long shadows all around. They reached the path that would lead the girl back, just in time, before Ame would have to worry about her getting lost in the dark.

He stopped at the edge of the path and pointed his nose to its length. "This is as far as I'm walking you," he explained curtly.

"Why?" the girl demanded, fingers closing tighter around his fur.

"No more 'why'," Ame snapped. "It's getting dark. Look, just up that road. See the observatory?"

The girl peered into the trees, lifting a hand against the sun. "What's a 'obsertory'?"

"That building," Ame scraped his paw against the dirt in rising impatience. He had forgotten how frustrating humans can be. Especially, the little ones. "Do you see it or not?"

"Yeah," the girl answered with a nod. She smiled, "I see it."

Ame shook away her hand and turned to dip back into the trees.

"Bye, Mr. Wolfman!"

The wolf growled at the loud shriek and broke into a run. Once he was far enough away, Ame stopped to itch his ears in frustration. He'd be glad not to have to do _that _again. What a tiresome human. His stomach gurgled with equal discontent. The dinner that had been waiting for him was now gone, without a doubt. He was too worn from the excursion of patience to hunt tonight, so all he could do was rest hungry.

oOo

That night, he curled up at the edge of the peak, beneath the stars. The little girl kept creeping back into his mind. For his own peace, Ame should have kept watch in the trees until she reached the building's entrance. Now, he would worry needlessly. Guilt. A human affliction.

It had been a long time since he had acknowledged that piece of himself. The piece of him that would worry for another's well-being. Everything was instinct. Nature did not require pesky things like emotions.

He looked to the moon, round and iridescent white, pooling light upon the forest below. He raised himself up on his paws and craned his neck back to release a long, sonorous howl. A reminder of what he was.

_You're a wolf, Ame, _he told himself. _You are _not _a human._

But it was only half true.

oOo


End file.
